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Hi. I'm Barbara Swafford and I'd like to welcome you to Blogging Without A Blog. Grab a seat, share your thoughts and join in the conversation.

P.S. The greatest value of this blog lies in the comment section where bloggers in all phases of the blogging journey open up and share their thoughts. Click on the post title to experience the full effect of each lesson.

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Patricia will be your substitute teacher (guest writer) today. You know Patricia. She’s the one who uses a ladybug as an avatar and shares what she’s learned through the years on her blog, “Patricia’s Wisdom”.

Please take your seats and try to behave as we listen to Patricia’s lesson.

Hello Patricia.

The floor is yours.

I have just spent the past 4 days helping four students stay on task and finish writing final exams. All four have been stuck at various points of their writing. Three are writers.

I have struggled and gotten all stopped up in my writing at times and this process has cost me dearly, so I thought I would share a few pearls that have come by my way and have provided relief.

Today’s Lesson

When you find yourself doing everything possible to avoid writing, or you find yourself staring at the paper and unable to think, here are some suggestions to give you a jump start.

Remember from inertia It takes massive amounts of energy to get moving. This is a law of physics. By the habit of writing daily, I keep the momentum going. Every day I write without exception, thus the hand and mind are in motion for conjuring up words and there is little hesitation.

Do silly things! My oldest daughter taught me this lesson by asking me at bedtime to make up a song. These songs were sometimes country western, sometimes opera, and on topics such as the alligator under the bed, window shades, how awful it is to have little sisters, and friends. Unless I was in the depths of exhaustion being silly lightened our spirits and made a pleasant journey for our dreams ahead. Also that she would pick a topic, made the songs a test of my thinking, rhyming and creating.

Figure out the best way to let go of toxic thinking Each person has their own distinct style. Here are some toxic things I have heard this past week: “I was failing this class 2 months ago so I have to write an A paper now.”, “This is my final essay for college so I want it to be the best I have ever written.”, “ I think this topic is so stupid, I just want to not think about it anymore.” , and my favorite, “I am not very good at this subject and the Prof will hate my writing so I should just take an F and not do it.”

My best tactic is to turn the statement around and repeat many times “This subject is so important the world needs to know my opinion and ideas – right now!” Or, “I am going to show how smart I am and how this topic should be tackled.” You can always ask yourself questions, too.

Just Do It! Start out with your toxic thinking and just push on. Write about your toe jam….log jam….strawberry jam: do not even take a bathroom break – just do it. It will give you lots to delete when you edit and maybe get you laughing when you’re all done.

Today’s Assignment

Do you find yourself getting stuck when writing your blog posts?

What is your favorite method of getting unstuck?

Got any special tricks we should know?

The comment section is open for all replies or suggestions for how to get silly, break through writer’s block and/or let go of toxic thinking.

Write on!

For more wonderful insight from Patricia, please visit her blog at “Patricia’s Wisdom” With a tagline that reads “Helping individuals create a positive life change”, you know you’re in for a special treat. Check out her “About” page and/or dig through her archives. You won’t be sorry you did.Photo Credit prinsipe boobooy

Even if I am unsure what to write exactly, I sit and just start typing. Ideas will flow, I guarantee it.

Then, as you say, the editing may begin.

One thing I find that works very well is making up silly ryhming posts, much like your made up songs. Ideas flow from being a bit silly. People also love catchy titles. My “Doggie Woggie Nickie Namies” is one of my most popular posts. Everyone loves a bit of fun and a catchy title goes a long way.

I feel that this is a great privilege to be a substitute teacher for Barbara today. And just look someone has raised their hand already with a suggestion.

the three dog blogger nice to find you here first thing and ready – eager to go. Just dive in and do it is a great way to get going and now I am wondering whether or not the whole class would be able to say Doggie Woggie Nickie Namies – altogether now. And I wonder if I could say it 3 times very fast? Maybe I should practice that on my own first!

It’s interesting you use these to unblock yourself
- This subject is so important the world needs to know my opinion and ideas – right now!”
- “I am going to show how smart I am and how this topic should be tackled.”

I lower the bar while it seems like you raise it …
- How can I chunk it down to something useful for now? (this helps in particular because I tend to be a maximizer and thorough — this helps me cut it down)
- Just share what I know for now – don’t let perfect get in the way of good.
- It’s a draft and it’s the Web, it’s not set in stone … Improve it when I know more.
- What’s the least I could share?

It’s raising the bar that blocks me.

Maybe it’s two separate things … maybe your examples are more about getting fired up, and mine are about not letting perfectionism block flowing value?

The find inertia and energy are best to keep me writing. When I write daily, I find it very easy to write the next day.

It’s when something gets in the way, like a holiday, that I struggle. When you physically can’t write because you can’t get to the computer. It’s when I finally do get back to the computer that I struggle to write because I’ve lost all forward movement.

J.D. Meier Good observations young man! Actually, I personally lower the bar if I am stuck…sometimes down to one word only – which I may write for 15 minutes straight. I was working with a perfectionist writer when I began this post, who had one more page to write on his exit essay to graduate from college. Mixing his perfectionism with his “let me take on this world” spirit seemed to release his block and assist him in getting his paper completed.

The four students mentioned gave me 4 fresh examples. One writer I had to make angry.

I tend to write too much especially with blog posts!
Thank you for your good insights.

Jamie Harrop,
I have found that momentum and regular writing are my magic tickets. Yes, holidays and power outages do cause delays in the head to hand action.

As a kid I was often in trouble for writing on the walls – no lie! I have reformed somewhat, I now carry pencil and paper/notebook with me everywhere. More valuable than my cellphone, though in a pinch I call my voice mail and leave ideas and messages.

hey patricia. i guess you could say i’m “stuck”, but then again i’m not. for my public blog i seem to have to think more, but i also keep a private blog as well…no problems when it comes to writing there, in fact, i don’t have enough time to get it all out on that blog.

i guess with writing publicly you always want to “do your best” or do better than the last post. that’s a good idea to turn the statement around and get rid of toxic thinking. very helpful.

i guess right now i’m taking a break, when it’s time for me to write on the public blog, the post will come to me and i’ll know it.

one thing that does help though is getting out of the house, exercise and reading.

Yes, I do get stuck!! Sometimes I scratch everything I’ve written, sometime I stop and save it for later.

Sometimes I just have a hard time starting. In that case, it will sometimes work to just do something completely different – play the piano, play with my kids, work in the yard, etc. Essentially, do something that really takes my mind off of writing for a little bit. And then, try it again… Other times, it works to just start writing ideas down when I’m struggling. It’s ugly, it’s messy, and sometimes it makes very little sense – yet when I look back over it all – there might be an idea or group of ideas that jump out at me – and get me going again.

Your story of the silly songs reminds me of when my children were a bit younger – and they used to love me making up weird and crazy stories at bedtime. Now, I’m wondering if I shouldn’t bring that back. They would probably still enjoy the stories, and who knows what I might get out of it too (well, besides some fun time with my kids – although that one’s a given!)

This is an exceptional lesson and I have to give a hearty “Aha!” and AMEN to the “inertia” part of the lesson.

Now that you mention it – I recognize that I DO have the most trouble “getting started writing” after any kind of writing “vacation”. Why is it the writing habit is so hard to establish and so easy to break?

Also another hearty “Aha!” and AMEN to the toxic thinking part of the lesson. “I’ve got to write a post that will WOW my readers” is just like “I’ve got to get an A+ on this paper” thinking. Both are toxic and self destructive. Thanks for pointing this out!

Hi Patricia: I particularly like the advice to keep the momentum going. It’s so true that it’s a lot harder to get started when you haven’t done something in awhile. It’s important to keep the creativity muscles limber. When I’m sitting in front of a page and can’t think of what to write I start writing “The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain” until something else pops into my head. Then I switch to that. Pretty soon I know what I’m going to write about.

When I get writers block I take a few steps: stop writing about the current topic and switch to another topic that I prefer. Use free-writing. Just write and write without editing or considering structure. Have a glass of OJ then go back to the original topic. Usually works.

I’ve found that it works best for me to write a lot when I’m inspired. Then if I go through a dry phase, I normally have something to tide me over. I don’t think most of us are designed to produce 600 insightful words every single day. Or that our creativity can even be scheduled.

When facing writer’s block, I’ve found that letting myself take time away to read a book, watch tv or a film, cook, take a walk, work out works a lot better than either staring at my computer trying to force it or surfing around online. One might have thought the latter would help, but it generally just leaves me feeling overwhelmed and blocked.

Great post Patricia. “Just DO it” is the one I love the most. I have figured out that while thoughts form the writing a lot of times, writing also shapes the thoughts that come along ….I try to remember how magical that is and force myself to st down and write
It almost ALWAYS works

Doing Silly Things is an unfailing one for me …with little ones it end up being a perfect win-win !

Natural,
Good Morning to you “do your best” on a post for the public – is that editing before you get started – and it will call a halt to your creativity almost instantly. Good reminder.

Lance,
Children are so good at keeping the inspiration momentum going . Some one once told me that you will either marry, give birth to, or be siblings with your greatest teacher. This might just prove to be true. We peak our imaginations at about age 6 and our peak of creativity is about 65.

Kathy,
You are so right writing and other habits are so hard to establish and so easy to break!

Marelisa,
I think our “creativity muscles” do need regular exercise and workouts. I do like that phrase – I will use it in the future. I am enjoying reading “A Whack on the Side of the Head” Thank you for that suggestion too.

Gennaro,
OJ the elixir of the writer! I love that idea as I thought it was coffee and I don’t drink coffee. Are you new to this class/blog? I welcome you if you are and thank you for your good suggestion and comment. Always nice to meet new people, even if they are just new to me – Delighted to make your acquaintance.

Vered,
That’s a good tip to take a refreshing distraction and explore others creative ideas. I might need to make it a measured trip on Stumbleupon because I can disappear into my distractions. Good idea.

Ruth,
Thank you for the nice words – Yep! having a few in the file drawer can really take the pressure off

Maya,
Youthful inspiration almost always a pleasant win-win – tho sometimes for sure a stop action too. There is something to Just do it. Thank you for your nice words.

Barbara,
Your class is so well behaved and just a pleasure to spend time with today. Thank you for the priviledge of being here.
I like how everyone is adding to the list and helping to create a great resource of ideas.

Recess time – let’s move and stretch and get a breath of fresh air and then come back to creating our resource list.

Good Morning Ms. Patricia – It’s an honor to have you here. I must say, thus far the class is behaving well. No spit balls, whoopie cushions or paper airplanes…yet.

I love the “just do it” saying. I use it when I’m procrastinating on chores, and recently started using it for writing, too. If that doesn’t work, I step away from my writing projects, do something else or leave the house. I’ve learned if I stress too much about being stuck, it only gets worse.

Hi Patricia. I hope I’m not too late for class. I brought you an apple These were excellent tips.

I get stuck A LOT! As J.D. mentioned, getting fired up and letting go of perfectionism are both keys to unlocking the muse. The blogosphere can either supply good ideas or intimidate me. Sometimes nothing works for me and then I JUST DO IT and don’t give up. Eventually the writing starts to flow again.

While the only kind of “stuck” I ever get is deciding which of the hundreds of posts swimming around in my head to blog next, I do have a strategy good for both that “stuck” and writer’s block.

I use a keyword searchable utility and copy and paste links to blog posts and other articles on subjects that interest me. I link these into blog posts so they make good suggestions for what to write about next.

I use Tomboy Notes for this and linked my name to a post on what that is and how I use it. Any way to store ideas can work.

Another great way to trigger ideas is to visit your favorite blogs and expand on and link to something they’ve recently written. I use FriendFeed for this; others use their RSS readers.

If all else fails take a snuggle break with your pets or if you live in the country work in the garden, gather some eggs, or watch the horses grazing out in the pasture for a while to clear your head and energize you,

Once you’ve gotten away from the computer and gotten a little exercise you’ll be much more likely to want to get to writing again.

This is a class I definitely needed to take. Like has already been mentioned it’s the start that gets me. I’m pretty sure that I’m overly judging (guess we really can’t under-judge) the value of what I’m offering.

My best tip is top read something inspiring and then follow that thread of inspiration. That works most of the time for me.

I’ve also used your toe jam approach by simply writing. I want to write about why it’s so damned hard for me to write when I really care about this topic.

Internet Marketing Maven,
Welcome, welcome, Barbara just brought your admission slip to my attention. It is so reassuring to know that we are not alone and it looks like just about everyone in class has had a time or two of getting stuck. I am enjoying your great ideas.

Barbara,
Thank you for checking up on things and seeing how well behaved the class is as we build our resource guide. Being stressed is just the “pits” but procrastinating on the chores (and learning the IT stuff) is just a given for me! Sometimes I am just a hopeless case.

Oh Davina,
Such a lovely apple, a bread making monk once just lived on an apple a day for a year and he was proclaimed exceedingly healthy.
When the writing process gets stuck there are some work games one can play too. I like setting the timer for 15 minutes and writing all the words I can think of that begin with the letter “t” or “a”….and that usually jogs my ideas right out into the open and then you are not editing or analyzing what you are trying to say – just in motion. Thank you again.

Chris,
I like that you set a time limit to return and don’t add more distractions to the stuck. To read is a good strategy too. I think piano teachers often take piano lessons to grow in their skill and assist their students. Reading other writers I think would be invaluable to a writer.

Internet Strategist
Exercise is so good for unsticking so many things in our lives. I will need to follow through on your suggestions they sound very valuable but I am unfamiliar with the tools you suggest. Wow a great day of learning new things for me too
Thank you all

Tom,
Nice to hear your ideas, yes! yes! sometimes getting started is the hardest part..Getting a big deep breath of air can help also and I know you sing beautifully…Row Row Row your boat at rousing levels can really open up the oxygen supply and stimulate those “toe jam” words

Vintage Mommy,
I do like the turn around phrases and they were especially fun to share with the students like a Polly Parrot and get them laughing. Laughter is such fun. Thank you for your good ideas

Bamboo Forrest,
Sometimes, many times, and most of the time an attitude change is just what we all need.

WOW! our resource guide is truly growing with some great suggestions here – who could ever be stuck again?

Hey Patricia! Great to see you giving advice here. I just answered a meme today and I talked about my lack of imagination.

Doing something creative with my other side is usually what I try. I draw, paint with the children, read another book or just simply wait. Sometimes placing myself in a reflection mode in total silence works.

I like the intertia concept. I think since the holiday season I have been in a writing slump. I slowed down and now I need to get going again.

Great post and thank you Barbara for having such a talented writer to share!

Cricket/Tammy,
Nice to see you today and after the holiday’s I have a kind of inertia. I still wrote everyday but with the Internet going down with the weather, I got away from reading everyone’s blogs, commenting and then it seemed overwhelming.

I will check out your meme and don’t worry I took a month to answer mine, I just had too much already scheduled. I look forward to discovering more about you.

This has been very fun to sub on Barbara’s blog and I appreciate all the kind words…and what a resource list we have gathered here.

Scott,
Thank you for coming by and I am sorry it took until today to get this substitute post up and running, but now we all have a super resource of suggestions available for the next time the ideas get “stuck”.

Thank you for the compliment – I am sure it is for all the participants in this great post!…What a great class!

Great suggestions! Yes I do get blocked at times. When I can’t figure it out… I know I need to take some time off. Also, I get inspired by other blogs. There are so many incredibly creative bloggers out here!!

Just do it sounds about right. I do have a suggestion, though. The important thing to focus on, when you say that you don’t know what to write about, are the words ‘don’t know’.

What you need, to get rid of writer’s block once and for all, is to know your subject like the back of your hand. Step back a bit from your daily routine, spend a few weeks learning about whatever it is that you want to blog about, and then try again. I swear you won’t have any more problems.

“When the writing process gets stuck there are some work games one can play too. I like setting the timer for 15 minutes and writing all the words I can think of that begin with the letter “t” or “a”….”

Jannie,
Thank you for coming on by and for sharing your tips. I am wishing I had 5 or 6 posts sitting in the in basket right now! But I used up most of the back log while my Internet was down and I was attempting to cope! Ah we can always start again – oh the Possibilities.
I have used a hand held recorder with my ear piece microphone when I am driving down the interstate to record ideas!

Caroline,
It is so helpful to read other bloggers and get sparks and ideas from their creativity and posts. Good suggestion to take some time off – We are truly getting a good resource guide here
Thank you for sharing your ideas.

Davina,
Glad you liked the tip – I learned it from a writer who had already published by 8th grade! When I am in a lecture taking notes I write new words in the margin just choosing one letter at a time. Great fun and one very long weekend retreat I got to A a second time!

Ling,
That is a powerful statement, knowing your information backward and forward and the research will continue to feed your ideas.
I think too if one breaks down the ideas into lists in their research that will also provide stepping stones to better outcomes. And when you are trying to write “final exams” and the pressure is on sometimes you still are stuck or overwhelmed and exhausted about getting going and getting the job done, even when you have researched up the kazoo. which brings me to Friar’s Point ->

Friar,
I could not write everyday if I did not exercise or get outside everyday and take care of myself first. I love my Wii and Wii fit for allowing me to be active with fun when the weather is just too much to deal with. Getting oxygen to the brain is crucial for being the most creative. Here! Here! Thank you for you great comments.

All writing and brains work different. I can almost not function under pressure, but all writing and brains need exercise, clean air to breath, and we will hope it starts a revolution or something!

I was thinking about this post again tonight. Another way I fight writer’s block is collecting post topics.

I do this by either e-mailing myself a title or using my reminder software to set it up to e-mail at a certain time (benefit of the latter is that I set them to all e-mail at once). Then once a night, I collect the titles and put them all in an ideas document (which is why it’s nice if they arrive all at once, that reminds me to do it).

Sometimes I’ll include snippets or sentences which I think should go in the article too. Gives me more to choose from and spares me the need to come up with a topic AND write about it!

Hi Patricia, it looks like you have got a bright and active class- so many tips have been shared here.

When I get stuck I simply dont fight it. I just tell myself that I am not mentally ready and walk away.. So I wont force myself to do it. I know that I do get those moments when ideas just flow into my head and I just write and write.

Atchisson,
Walking is a great stimulant and particularly when we can go outside and get oxygen and visual cues that stimulate idea flow.
Thank you for sharing

Melvin,
Yes indeedy a rest is a great idea too. They say that the best healer of all the body parts is sleep. Those who live in the USA get the least amount of sleep of any other area on the planet. I realize a rest can mean other things besides sleep, but I just thought I would mention power napping as a type of healing rest.

Sharon,
Yes, not building up resistance or “fight with it” can really allow the mind to roam freely and assist in getting back to the flow.

This has been a truly great class to substitute. I think the discussion has been truly a great one with lots of participation.
Thank you all.

Hi Patricia – I find just writing any old silly thing helps, too, when I an stuck with paid writing (a similar situation to student writing, maybe). Then deleting it later helps you feel you are doing something! Which keeps the momentum up.

For my blog writing, going for a walk or having a lie down or a shower are what help – I guess for this kind or writing I just need the inspiration and then I’m off!

Sometimes writing flows swift and easy but then at times I read it over and find it sounds more like rambling or I haven’t made my point clear of the relationship of one paragraph is to the topic.
I walk away from it for a while.
Reading it out loud and asking myself what exactly are you trying to say here.

Clearing your head them asking yourself some questions.
Sometimes I find ideas for another article with the one I am working on.

Bunny Got Blog,
Good ideas and a good way to look and edit what is going on with your writing – reading it outloud is a gem and that you get new ideas is good too….I some times read the post backwards starting with the last paragraph to the first…that seems to help me also.
Thank you for adding to our resource list